Summer 2018: Days 68-79

Another long break in summer blogging, but in this case, I didn't have the energy to write instead of just being lazy.

The last two weeks have been busy:
  • Ben swam at the state meet and swam well, finishing sixth in state in the 50 back and seventh in the 100 back. He also led off a relay that took fourth. The state meet is a long affair -- four days -- but we've got the routine down pretty well. His team swam great as well. On the last night, we all went to Wasatch Brewery in Sugar House to celebrate another successful state meet and long-course season. 
  • Michael played in a basketball tournament in Vegas without us. He was asked to play up with the U15s again, and one family drove him down and back, and another took care of him for four days. He played well in the tourney -- nothing like getting a text from a dad saying Michael had a great game. 
  • Last Thursday and Friday, Michael swam in the conference meet for his rec team and took home a trophy for being the third-highest point scorer in his division. He also won the backstroke.
  • Lori turned 50 last Monday! We took her to Olive Garden for her birthday, and it almost turned out bad as no one acknowledged us for 10 minutes after we sat down. In true Lori style, she complained and we got 25 percent off our bill and free cannolis. Dinner was otherwise good. We came home and sang "Happy Birthday" to her.
  • The heat has been brutal, though it's eased up in the last few days a bit. I don't mind working outside in it, as long as I'm in the shade. I still love that I have a job in which I can work in swim trunks and sit outside in the summer, even if I'm just in my backyard.
  • The haze, however, has been nasty. Smoke from California wildfires have wafted its way here, and with Salt Lake's geography, it's basically parked over the valley. We have had blue skies for a few days now, and other than a limited shower here and there, a system hasn't blown the gunk out.
  • I thought the haze might have been playing with my sinuses, and whether the pollution or a virus caused it, I caught a cold this week. I think it's the smog just irritating my nose and throat, but it's been pretty thorough. I've eased off on exercising too much outside.
  • Went to the doctor for my physical and everything is checking out OK. Need to lose weight, of course, but everything else is good.
  • Today I slept late, then napped, then lounged ... but then enlisted Ben (and eventually Michael) to help me sort out our game closet. We had games stacked up in the living room which are now all in the closet, and we moved many to storage downstairs. Played Memoir 44 with Michael in the evening.
We're usually on vacation around this time of year, so the fact we are in town has been a little weird. It might be why I haven't had much energy to write (cold and work notwithstanding). There's still all of August left. Don't know how many adventures we'll get on (the haze really needs to push through ...), and Michael starts high school Friday, but I still want to get to the pool, lounge in the sun, get a hike or two in, go down a waterslide, and enjoy the remaining summer. And I want to write.

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